Breathing Water - (Poke Rafferty Thrillers) by Timothy Hallinan (Paperback)

About the Book

Hallinan is back with another Poke Rafferty novel filled with intrigue and suspense, and set in exotic Bangkok.

From the Back Cover

A late-night poker game in Bangkok nets American ex-pat writer Poke Rafferty the "opportunity" to write the biography of Khun Pan, a flamboyant, vulgar, self-made billionaire with a criminal past and far-reaching political ambitions. Within hours, Rafferty, his wife, Rose, their adopted daughter, Miaow, and Poke's best friend, honest Bangkok cop Arthit, have become disposable pawns in a brutal power struggle among some of Thailand's richest, most ruthless citizens. There are those who would go to any length to ensure the book is never written and others equally desperate to have Pan's darkest secrets exposed. Suddenly Rafferty is sinking deeper in a perilous sea of treachery and intrigue--and caught up in the inhuman machinations of an Asian babyselling ring--as he searches frantically for the only chance he may have to get everyone he loves out alive.

Review Quotes

"Another masterpiece of contemporary crime fiction. Hallinan takes us on a thrilling Tuk Tuk ride into a city seemingly always on the verge of chaos that somehow always manages to hold together-if you like tautly plotted, intelligent crime fiction do yourself a favor and jump on board." - Adrian McKinty, author of Dead I Well May Be and Fifty Grand
"Humor and horror expertly play off one another in Tim Hallinan's rapid-fire story of political intrigue and murder most foul. Top form writing set in Bangkok, a great place for action and a backdrop Hallinan uses to superb advantage." - James Church, author of A Corpse in the Koryo
"Humor and horror expertly play off one another in a rapid-fire story of political intrigue and murder. The plot is skillfully tangled and the sense of menace refreshingly relentless. Top form writing set in Bangkok, a great place for action and a backdrop Hallinan uses to superb advantage." - James Church, author of A Corpse in the Koryo
"A Nail Through the Heart was a revelation, yet The Fourth Watcher was a leap forward. Breathing Water takes another step. It's a book you'd be sorry to finish if you weren't so emotionally exhausted by the end. Look for it on award lists at the end of the year." - www.newmysteryreader.com
"[A] searing beauty of a book. A compelling tale of a quiet hero just trying to get by in the best worst city in the world. If you like exotic thrillers that are as full of heart as they are twists and reverses, you should check it out." - Schuler Books Blog
"If you have not yet discovered the Poke Rafferty/Bangkok Thriller series, it's time to put on a wetsuit and start Breathing Water. A rich, multi-leveled, intelligent thriller series that will tickle you to laugh, challenge you to think, and buckle you in for an adventurous ride through Bangkok." - Jen's Book Thoughts
"BREATHING WATER is as brilliant a piece of crime fiction as I've had the pleasure of reading, from the clean prose of the author to Poke Rafferty's noir humor, and the richness of the Thai landscape." - www.gumshoereview.com
"Fast-paced...Beautifully written, with vivid descriptions." - Cambodia Daily
"Hallinan is a born storyteller, layering plot upon plot and twist upon turn, and, as a bonus, he's a superb stylist whose assured prose continually delights and surprises the reader....A thriller with a heart that's easily one of the best books of the year." - Sunday Denver Post
"The book is extraordinary, magnificent, exceptional, heart-shaking, heart-breaking, brilliant. As I read this book, I laughed, I cried, I gasped-but I never, ever yawned. BREATHING WATER is a great book. " - www.reviewingtheevidence.com
"A terrific thriller . . . Last year's The Fourth Watcher was [Hallinan's] best yet -- but his new one, Breathing Water, tops it. Hallinan's books are more ferocious than [John] Burdett's, and he excels at creating truly frightening villains." - Dick Adler, theknowledgeableblogger.blogspot.com
"This is a book that can be enjoyed on many levels. The mystery, danger, and intrigue satisfy the lover of mystery and thriller, while the relationships give the story depth. Especially nice is the relationship between Rafferty and Arthit, one of the few honest cops in Bangkok." - www.bloggernews.net/122019
"Captures the essence of life in Bangkok and delivers all the mystery, intrigue and breathtaking excitement one comes to expect from the Poke Rafferty series of superb crime thriller novels. With this one, author Hallinan is at the top of his game. " - www.perfecttext.com
"Hallinan's prose will engage readers.... Never lags for intrigue as it interweaves the lives of Thai street children with a tale of political power gone bad." - Kirkus Reviews